Next to Me
by ridiculouslyoptimistic
Summary: As Ally prepares to walk down the aisle, she thinks about all the times Austin has been there for her and decides that somewhere along the way, she must have done something right.


"You look beautiful, honey."

Smiling, she looked at her mother's reflection in the mirror as she smoothed down the skirt of her dress. "Thanks, mom."

Her mother blinked back tears as Ally turned , her grin growing. Penny stepped forward and cupped her daughter's cheeks in her palms, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "I can't believe my baby is getting married. Austin is one lucky man."

Ally smiled appreciatively and suppressed tears of her own, despite the fact that she couldn't stop grinning. "I'm one lucky woman."

…

"_Are you sure this is a good idea?" she spoke loudly over the dull roar of the crowd. _

_Dez nodded excitedly. "It's perfect. We'll have the money in no time."_

_Although she nodded in response, she rubbed her necklace between her fingers nervously, praying this plan would work. Amid their latest game of instrument gladiator, Dez and Austin had managed to break practically every instrument in the store. Luckily, her father was out of town at a bagpipe convention, allotting her just enough time to replace the broken equipment before he returned. _

_Dez's brilliant idea was to host a poker night at the store. She'd been skeptical at first, in fact, she was still skeptical, but she was out of options so she agreed. _

_So far, all seemed to be going well. _

_The participants seemed to be enjoying themselves and spending their fair share of money. Now her only concern was Austin. _

_As much as she adored her best friend and partner, he had a habit of spending exorbitant amounts of money on useless objects. Combine that with his love of competition and she had a feeling this poker night wouldn't end well. She feared he would end up gambling away his entire savings in an attempt to win a bet. _

_Biting down on her bottom lip, she stood on her toes as she scanned her eyes over the crowd, but saw no sign of the blonde for which she was looking. _

"_Dez," she called out, scanning the room one more time, "Have you seen Austin?"_

_Dez nodded and pointed towards the stairs. "He's up there."_

_She allowed her eyes to follow the line of his arm, and sure enough, she soon set her gaze on Austin, who was leaning casually over the railing as he watched the festivities below. Shaking her head and laughing, she made her way up the stairs and leaned on the metal rail beside him. _

"_What are you doing up here?" she asked. _

"_Just enjoying from afar," he explained, averting his gaze. _

_She nodded and looked out at the crowd. His words made sense, but she got the feeling something else was going on. "Are you alright?"_

"_Of course," he replied a little too brightly. She sent him a knowing glance and he sighed and shrugged. "I just hope this works out for you. I really don't want you to get into trouble because of me."_

_She laughed. "That's sweet, but don't worry about it. My dad doesn't really know how punishment works, so I think I'll be just fine."_

_He chuckled and nodded in response, this time turning his head to look at her, his eyes sparkling. Her breath caught in her throat and for what seemed like the millionth time since they met, she wondered how it was possible for someone to make her feel so utterly alive. _

_After months and months of denying it, she'd finally admitted to herself that her feelings for Austin were no longer strictly platonic. But that didn't mean she'd worked up the courage to tell him; she didn't want to risk ruining their friendship and partnership. Besides, she was almost one hundred percent positive that he had no romantic feelings towards her whatsoever. _

_They stood in silence for a moment, simply staring at each other, his smile growing with each passing second until she felt as though her heart was about to burst, so she drew his attention to something else. _

"_Do you want to get back to the party?" she asked, glancing down nervously. _

"_Nope."_

_She furrowed her brow in confusion. "No?"_

"_No," he repeated shaking his head. Reaching over, he grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together, squeezing lightly. "I'd rather stay here with you."_

…

_She was blocked. No matter how many different combinations of notes she tried, she couldn't seem to make the melody fit. _

_Perhaps she was just tired. Blinking slowly, she glanced towards the clock and let out a short laugh when she found the numbers read 9:36. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been to sleep before midnight, so tiredness couldn't be the cause of her lack of creativity either. _

_Deep down she knew the real reason she couldn't focus, the reason she'd been particularly off in everything lately. _

_Austin. _

_Ever since they started dating, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Sure, besides the fact that they kissed more than they used to, nothing much had changed. Still, something was wrong. _

_Maybe she was just paranoid. He was at a party tonight. A party that she hadn't been invited to. Of course, as soon as he'd learned this information, he'd refused to go, but she didn't want to hold him back, so she forced him to nonetheless. _

_And now she wished she hadn't, because she was sitting at her piano bench, breaking pencils between her fingers and mentally warning Suzy Jackson to stay away from her man. _

_The opening of the practice room door brought her back to reality and she immediately smiled when Austin walked into the room. _

"_Hey," she greeted, "You're back early."_

_He nodded as he slid into the piano bench beside her. "Yeah, the party kinda sucked."_

"_Why is that?"_

"_Because you weren't there."_

_Before she could respond, he leaned forward and kissed her softly, turning his lips upwards into a smile against her mouth. She blushed when he pulled away, unable to help her grinning and sighing contently when she felt as though a weight had been lifted from her chest. _

"_I'm sure Suzy tried to show you a good time," she giggled in spite of herself. _

"_Who?"_

_Her first thought was that he was playing dumb, but when she looked into his eyes, all she saw was confusion. He genuinely had no idea who she was talking about. It seemed she had been worried for no reason. _

"_No one," she sighed. "She's just a girl from school."_

_He shrugged. "If you say so. To be honest, I didn't really notice any of the girls there because all I could think about was you."_

"_That's sweet," she smiled because she could tell he was being earnest. A fluttering in her stomach began and she leaned forward to kiss his cheek lightly before turning back to the piano. "Do you wanna help me out? I can't seem to get this tune right."_

_He nodded and within moments his face was one of utter concentration and she couldn't help but think that this was right where they belonged. _

…

_He was furious. She could tell by the way he was flicking his forefinger against his thumb. He was always fidgety when he was upset and holding in his anger. _

_His eyes flashed at the man the suit. The man in the suit from the record label who had just announced that Ally would no longer be opening for Austin on tour. _

_In truth, she knew this was coming. After all, she wasn't nearly as popular as he, and it made sense for his label to want someone who would sell more tickets. Still, Austin was having trouble controlling his temper. _

"_No," he stated calmly, although she could practically see the smoke streaming out of his ears. "I don't care what big name pop artist you want to book, I'm bringing Ally."_

"_Austin," suit man sighed, "Ally is an amazing artist and one day she'll have her own tour. But right now, no one really knows who she is, so having her open for you won't boost your sales. You need someone who will bring in money. It's just about business, it's not personal."_

_Austin shook his head, shifting his gaze towards Ally for a moment before turning back to the man. "It is personal for me."_

"_Austin," she spoke softly, standing and running her palm gently down the side of his arm. "It's alright. He has a good point. Besides, I'm sure my label can find someone else for me to go on tour with."_

"_That's not the point, Ally," he spit out in frustration, running a hand through his hair. Eyes flooded with determination, he stared directly at the man in the suit, though she could tell he was also speaking to her. "Ally and I are partners. We go through things together. So if she's not going on tour, neither am I."_

_She gasped, her eyes widening as she waited for the man's reaction. _

"_You're giving me an ultimatum?" he said, surprised. "You do realize bringing her means the profits from this tour will be half of what they would be with a bigger name artist."_

"_I could really care less about the money," Austin countered angrily. "All I care about is her."_

_Unable to keep a smile from stretching her lips, she wrapped her arms around his waist and nestled into his side, whispering, "Thank you."_

_His lips came to rest on top of her head as his arms wrapped around her shoulders. He kissed her hair softly before holding the suit man's stare, determined not to back down. _

"_Fine," the man reluctantly gave in, shaking his head in annoyance, "She can come. But Jimmy won't be happy about this."_

"_Thanks," Austin sighed in relief, reaching out to shake the man's hand, but managing to keep his arm wrapped around Ally. _

_The man nodded and left the store, a look of slight fear in his eyes as he contemplated telling Jimmy the news. _

_Ally turned in her boyfriend's arms, resting her forearms on his chest as she looked up at him in adoration. "You didn't have to do that."_

"_Of course I did," he whispered, leaning down to brush his lips against hers, kissing her fully after a few moments. He mumbled against her lips before pulling her in for an even deeper kiss. "How could it be amazing if you weren't beside me?"_

…

_Her stomach was churning, her hands were shaking, and she felt as though she was about to vomit. She was having difficulty breathing because every time she tried to inhale she felt as though she was choking. Clutching her stomach, she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths in hopes it would help her heart rate return to normal. _

_This shouldn't be happening: she'd conquered her stage fright years ago. In fact, it had been an essential part to getting her to her present situation. _

_Tonight was the opening concert of her headlining world tour. Tonight was a big deal. Tonight was Madison Square Garden. _

_Closing her eyes only made her feel tired, so she settled for pacing. She walked towards the platform where she would enter the stage and then walked back, quickly turning on her heel every few seconds. _

"_Careful, you're going to wear a hole in the floor."_

_She stopped in her tracks, a weight lifting as she sighed in relief at the sight of her boyfriend. He stood with his hands shoved into his jeans and a knowing smile on his face. Without a second thought, she raced towards him, flinging her arms around his torso and pulling him close. _

_He laughed and she felt it rumble through her body as he wrapped his own arms around her shoulders and buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent deeply as he always did when they embraced. _

"_What are you doing here?" she mumbled into his chest, still not quite able to comprehend his presence. _

"_Where else would I be?"_

_Austin's own tour had begun in this very venue a few weeks prior. He'd put on an amazing show for three consecutive sold out audiences and she'd been there for every night. He was scheduled to perform in Boston tomorrow, so she'd initially believed he wouldn't make it to her opening show. _

_As always, Austin had proved her wrong. _

"_Alright, Alls," he said, pulling away slightly and lowering his hands to rest at her hips. "Do you wanna tell me what's going on?"_

"_I can't do this, Austin," she blurted out, that twisting in her stomach returning. "There's too many people."_

_He shrugged. "You can do what I do when I get nervous. I picture the audience naked."_

_She frowned and glared. That piece of advice did little to quell her nerves, especially considering a good portion of his audience was teenage girls. _

"_Fine," he laughed softly. He thought for a moment before bringing his hands up to cup her cheeks. "How about you try this; before each song, imagine I'm on stage with you. Imagine we're singing a duet to a small crowd at Sonic Boom."_

_He spoke calmly and slowly and as she listened to his words she felt her heartbeat return to just above normal and her breathing slow. _

"_Thank you," she whispered, looking into his eyes as the stage manager called out that it was time for her to get into position. _

_Smiling softly, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. "Good luck."_

_She nodded, pecking him once more before turning towards the platform which would rise to the stage. _

"_Hey, Ally."_

_Turning, she raised her eyebrows as she readied herself. _

"_Remember," he said, "I'm right there with you."_

"_I know," she smiled as the platform began to rise. "You always are."_

…

_She wondered if this was how she would feel if the world was ending: as though she was drowning in the midst of giant tidal wave. Because that's how she felt: as though her entire world had collapsed around her and she was powerless to stop it. _

_She stared blankly ahead, nodding when appropriate and accepting apologetic hugs from people she'd only ever spoken two words to, the entire time wondering why the world was so cruel. _

_Perhaps it was a blessing. After several months of suffering, her most beloved grandmother had passed away. As much as she tried to convince herself that her gran was in a better place now, all she could feel was empty sorrow. _

_Even the people who came to the memorial service in the store eventually left and she soon found herself sitting at the piano in the lobby, hoping there was still some light left in her life. _

_Someone slid into the bench beside her and she didn't have to look up from her hands to know who it was. An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his side, and she instinctively lay a head on his shoulder, where he pressed a kiss into her hair. _

"_I'm so sorry, baby," he whispered. _

"_It's alright," she replied, closing her eyes to hold in tears because she was lying. _

_He pulled her closer, using his free hand to take her left one between his fingers. _

"_She's not going to be there," she sighed, glancing down at her hand. _

_Austin twisted the simple diamond ring on her fourth finger and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know."_

_He had proposed to her a few months ago and of course she'd said yes. Her grandmother had been the most excited of her relatives; she absolutely loved Austin. She'd even helped Ally with much of the wedding planning. _

_The event was originally scheduled to take place in a few weeks' time, but now it seemed inappropriate. Ally was in no mood to celebrate, no matter how happy the occasion. _

"_We can postpone, you know," he said hesitantly, "The wedding."_

_She opens her eyes slowly and lifts her head to look at him, trying to judge whether he would be hurt if she agreed. But all she saw in his eyes was a desire to make her happy, so she blinked and bit her lip. _

"_You would be ok with that?"_

"_Of course," he gave her a small smile, squeezing her hand. "I'm not going anywhere."_

_For the first time in what seemed like forever, she smiled, even blushing slightly when he lifted her hand to kiss the ring softly. _

_As they settled into quiet conversation, she couldn't help but be thankful that she had someone as amazing as Austin. In a world where it seemed like everyone left and all good things ended, she knew one thing would always hold true: Austin would always be there for her. _

…

"It's time."

She snapped out of her daydream and looked at her mother and Trish, who were standing at the door with excited grins on their faces. Stretching her lips into a smile to match hers, she carefully lifted the skirt of her dress and walked towards the door.

A few moments later, she stood in front of the closed church doors, clutching her grandmother's necklace between her fingers. Oddly, she wasn't nervous at all. Even though her relationship with Austin had undergone some rough patches, she had never doubted that they were meant to be together. In the end, they always found their way back to each other and she couldn't imagine facing the rest of her life with anybody else at her side.

She smiled softly at her dad, nodding reassuringly as he held back tears. He patted her hand when she placed it in the crook of his elbow and took a deep breath as the doors swung open.

Trish and her mom walked out first, slowly and to the beat of the music until finally it was time for her to make her way down the aisle.

She didn't even notice the decorations as she walked or the crowd of people staring at her in admiration or even the baby crying in the background.

No, all of her attention was focused on the man at the end of the aisle.

He stood straight, his hands clasped to his front, staring intently at the floor until about ten seconds after she entered. She laughed softly when he raised his chin to look in her eyes, but then her laughter stopped because she lost all ability to breathe.

The amount of love and adoration and absolute joy which flooded her eyes left her feeling dizzy, so gripped her father's arm tighter until they reached the alter. Her father took her hand, placing it gently in Austin's and giving her a kiss on the cheek before turning to take his seat.

"You look beautiful," Austin whispered, squeezing her hand.

"Thanks," she replied, blushing once more.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded. "I've been ready for a long time."

He grinned as he rotated his hand to intertwine their fingers and she turned towards the alter, ready to take her place in the world: next to him.


End file.
